Author: Clay Rivers
On Rejection
By Kirk Douglas, for the Huffington Post
Actors are often described as “people who love rejection.” That’s not true. Every year hundreds of young boys and girls come to New York or Hollywood with dreams of becoming an actor and having their name in lights. They never expect to meet with rejection. “Too fat! Too thin! Too loud! Too soft!” Most of them go home. I stayed.
Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street, and the Roots
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The Value of Suffering
by Pico Iyer for The New York Times
NARA, Japan — Hundreds of Syrians are apparently killed by chemical weapons, and the attempt to protect others from that fate threatens to kill many more. A child perishes with her mother in a tornado in Oklahoma, the month after an 8-year-old is slain by a bomb in Boston. Runaway trains claim dozens of lives in otherwise placid Canada and Spain. At least 46 people are killed in a string of coordinated bombings aimed at an ice cream shop, bus station and famous restaurant in Baghdad. Does the torrent of suffering ever abate — and can one possibly find any point in suffering?
Membership Has Its Privileges
Getting Walking Tall: A Memoir About the Upside of Small and Other Stuff birthed proved to be a very fulfilling experience thanks to a core group of old and new friends who encouraged me to not only write the memoir, but who also helped me pull off a successful launch. Hearing from readers how my story resonated with them made all the hours spent writing and rewriting and rewriting some more worth every minute.
Under Construction
Pardon the mess, but I’m in the process of redesigning the website to coincide with an upcoming announcement about my new book. The navigation may change a couple of times before it’s all over, but stay tuned for more info.
Thanks, Clay
Privilege 101
priv • i • lege (noun) a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people: education is a right, not a privilege | he has been accustomed all his life to wealth and privilege.*
This principle is easily understood and universally holds true. A privilege always requires that at least one criterion be met. Here’s three of my favorites, but I’m sure you can come up with your own.
Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, The Cloaking Device, and Me
Since the verdict in the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman came down I’ve been in a state of shock, so much so that only recently have I been able to sort out my emotions or thoughts on the matter. For the sake of my readers, I’d decided to focus a few blog posts on aspects that directly impact me.